Hidden Hills
October 30, 2024
I have put off for several days the writing this specific post because I am not sure I have the skill and vocabulary to accurately describe this experience. I thought maybe if I recorded a video of my telling the story I might capture my feelings better. But I am going to step up to the challenge and try to describe this experience in writing.
On this morning of October 18th I was driving to the beach to enjoy the sun and sand. I had in the back of my mind that I might go the Channel Islands National Park Visitor Center in Ventura/Oxnard. This national park is several islands off the coast of California that require a boat ride to visit. As that boat ride is unlikely -- as in very -- to ever happen for me, I thought I might cheat and visit the mainland visitor center and count that as my visit to the park.
As I drove along, I was talking with Lucian and Alissa about the upcoming UVa at Clemson football game and UGA's visit to UT later in the day. By the time we hung up, I realized I had driven past the exit for the visitor center. "Oh well, it wasn't that important," I thought and continued to drive toward the beach. But within five minutes, I had a change of heart. I thought I might regret not visiting the visitor center as I was so close. I also thought that while I could go to the visitor center on my way back from the beach, it also might be closed later in the day. A quick "Siri, directions to the Channel Islands Visitor Center" and the directions popped up on my "entertainment center" in Hi Ho Silver. ("Entertainment center" is a complete overselling of my radio display in the Sequoia.). An exit off of US 101 and I was heading back south to the visitor center.
The Channel Islands Visitor Center is a smallish building located near several pleasure craft dockyards and across from the ocean and the beach.
I strolled into the information center/gift shop and was greeted graciously by two young women behind the counter. I turned my attention to the gift area with the goal of at least finding a sticker or two saying "Channel Islands National Park" which I could use to verify my visit. One of the women inquired about the image on the back of my hoodie sweatshirt. As I had been for too many days in a row, I was wearing my "Going To Paris" sweatshirt which I had made before I started on my wanderabout five years ago. I walked in the direction of the counter and showed the women the map on the back of my sweatshirt -- the map of the US showing all 24 Paris' I planned to visit when I set out in September 2019. (How wrong I was!). They seemed genuinely interested so I explained how I have been visiting all the Paris' in the US, how I came to the idea to do so (thanks, Jimmy) and some of the highlights of the Paris' --as usual, I highlighted the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Texas with the red cowboy hat on top and the bulletin board in the first Paris, Oregon. If I remember correctly, I told them how the trip had grown from just the idea of a point-to-point drive to wandering around the US using the Paris' as a framework but seeing the other sights along the way.
Having not talked with many people for the past couple of weeks, I found myself as I too often do talking more than I feel comfortable with. I understand that it might be weirdly interesting that somebody has driven to a bunch of places named Paris, but it's not all that interesting!
One of the women asked me where home is for me; "Virginia,"I answered. She volunteered she grew up in South Carolina.
WARNING: THIS STORY IS ABOUT TO GET FREAKY!
I said "Me, too!" and that I grew up in Aiken, being unsure whether she would know of Aiken.
I was taken aback when she replied, "Me, too!"
What are the odds of two people from Aiken, SC being at the Channel Islands National Park Visitor Center in Ventura/Oxnard, California at the same time??
Recognizing that she is much younger than me and that my high school turned into a horse stable in the late 1980s or early 1990s (I might be wrong on the time frame), I asked if she had gone to Aiken High. Her response -- South Aiken, which I knew to be a new high school built after I left for college. South Aiken High is within two miles (or so) of the street I grew up on. Thinking she would not know the name of my high school, I dismissingly said I had gone to St. Angela. I was shocked when she said that her mom had gone to St. Angela. I volunteered that I had graduated in 1976. Can you guess what she said? "My mom did, too!" At this point, my head was spinning as I was probably in the same class as her mom -- and that she knew what year her mom graduated high school! Now my high school graduating class was around 60 people if I remember correctly. It might have been slightly larger or maybe a bit smaller.
"What's your mom's name?"
"Malinda Watson."
Neurons that haven't fired for nearly 50 years suddenly came to life and an image of Malinda formed in my mind.
"I know your mom."
Flashbacks to high school began to avalanche in my mind. The awkwardness of entering a new school in the 10th grade, the even more awkwardness of going to school with girls (I had gone to an all-boys school from fourth through ninth grade). And the extreme awkwardness of just being a boy of 14 to 17. Cringe. Then layer on the fashion of the mid 1970s — the airport-wide ties, the huge coat lapels, the crazy color and patterned shirts. I’d been able to block those memories for so many years — decades. Now all of a sudden they were flooding my mind!!
We finally introduced ourselves — Elaine and Lucian. She had lived on Boardman Road in Aiken — two blocks over from my home on Mimosa Circle. We talked about our memories of growing up in Aiken and how we had both left after high school while our moms had continue to live there.
Somehow, the topic of Buddy the Elf came up and Elaine said how she loves that movie. Which led to this photo inside the visitors’ center.
I have had some memorable experiences on my wanderabout. This one might have been the most surprising!
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